View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Gail largely excommunicated from her family?

2. Vance notes in Chapter 13 that if Usha had possessed a terrible personality, she would have made an excellent heroine in a novel by what author?

3. What popular toy does Vance describe Lindsay and his mother desperately searching for at Christmastime when he was a baby in the Conclusion?

4. Who is described as Vance's cousin Rachael's father in Chapter 10?

5. What is the story of Brian's mother in the Conclusion?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Vance describe his experiences of fitting in at Yale Law School?

2. What does Vance describe as the single most determinant for a person's success in Chapter 15?

3. How did Mamaw feel about Vance's decision to join the Marine Corps? Why?

4. What are the impacts of social perceptions of masculinity and femininity in poor societies, according to Vance in Chapter 15?

5. How does Vance describe his own family's Christmas celebrations in his Conclusion?

6. What two events does Vance describe as being significant to him during his last two years of service in the Marines?

7. What led to Vance's decision to join the Marine Corps?

8. How does Vance perceive American politics in regards to how they are judged in poor communities in his Conclusion?

9. What paradox does Vance point out regarding the tuition for Yale Law School in Chapter 12?

10. Where did Vance intend to attend college after graduating high school? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What led to the decline of Middletown, Ohio, according to Vance? How did the economic decline of the town manifest in the city parks and recreation areas? What impacts did the decline have on the citizens of Middletown?

Essay Topic 2

How did Vance feel about his mother's boyfriend Matt? Why did Vance refuse to initially move in with his mother and Matt? How did she respond to his refusal?

Essay Topic 3

How does Vance describe the cultural differences that Mamaw and Papaw experienced when they moved from Kentucky to Ohio? How did they cope with these differences? How did Vance perceive the differences between these settings?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 818 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample